Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
c£1,000,000 of improved productivity has been collectively achieved by eleven North Staffordshire SME businesses over the last year and a half thanks to free assistance delivered by the North Staffordshire Manufacturing Group.
The group was established in 2005 and combines the resources of the Ceramic Industry Forum, MAS WM, Michelin Development and the North Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry to offer free practical help and assistance.
The principle of the Productivity Networks is simple; to enhance the local business support. This is achieved by working in partnership to deliver greater company value through tailor made solutions utilising the specialist knowledge of the group.
Typically, after application and a selection acceptance, five non competing companies commence their network. Each company examines their business need and focuses the groups support into specific areas of importance where improvements to productivity are required. This support is hands-on and on-site!
The list of projects completed includes:
- Quality improvement
- Efficient assembly
- Business planning
- Increase bottleneck capacity
- Quick set up
- Waste elimination
- Improved product flow and reduced lead time
- Over all Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
- Increased packing line flow
- Line balance
Currently, six companies are just about to embark on the next Productivity Network - that does mean that you’ve missed the boat on this occasion! Applications for a follow on network will be invited in Spring, so if you would like to have advanced notice of the launch please email Colin, or call him on 07899 661878 or Christine at the CIF office.
We are now offering Business Improvement Techniques (BIT) NVQ
Business Improvement Techniques (BIT) NVQ has been developed as a means of improving business performance and follows the Process Pathway. It can be undertaken at NVQ levels 2, 3 and 4 and has an emphasis on the application of lean principles. Lean is about the elimination of all process waste with an emphasis on increasing productivity and reducing lead time.
The primary objective of the qualification is to improve business performance as a whole. It is aimed at people working in the production environment who can demonstrate their ability to carry out improvements within the company, e.g. by reducing costs.
Who would benefit from this qualification?
The BIT qualification has been designed to cover those employees who are:
At Level 2
- Employees involved in business improvement within a team who wish to have their business improvement competencies assessed and accredited for certification purposes
- New employees who have undertaken some business improvement training and are now acquiring experience within a team and wish to demonstrate their competencies for assessment purposes
- Other people involved in the business at all levels who require fundamental understanding of business improvement practices
At Level 3
- Supervisors, team leaders or facilitators, who are responsible for carrying out business improvement activities.
- Employees who, through continuous professional development, are being prepared to take on staff responsibilities in a business improvement environment.
- Other people involved in the business at all levels who require a more in-depth understanding of business improvement practices.
At Level 4
- Managers who have overall responsibilities for business improvements against business objectives.
- Employees who, through continuous professional development, are being prepared to take on management responsibilities in a business improvement environment.
- Full time facilitators on business improvement delivering improvement training across the business. They may not have specific day to day people responsibilities.
- Other people involved in the business who require an in depth understanding of business improvement practices.
The Business-Improvement Techniques awards have been designed to allow progression through the various levels (where this is appropriate). As a general rule, candidates who have achieved a Level 3 award and are moving up to Level 4, do not need to cover units already undertaken. However, where mandatory units have been undertaken in a particular context it may be appropriate to generate some additional evidence if the new context is significantly different.
Business Improvement Techniques NVQ Modules Available From CIF:
BIT NVQ Modules
Complying with Statutory Regulations and Organisational Safety Requirements
Contributing to Effective Team Working
Leading Effective Teams
Applying Workplace Organisation (5C)
Applying Continuous Improvement Techniques
Creating Flexible Production and Manpower Systems Analysing and Selecting Parts for Improvements
Carrying out Lead Time Analysis
Creating Visual Management Systems
Carrying out Value Stream Mapping
Applying Set up Reduction Techniques
Applying Total Productive Maintenance
Applying Problem Solving Techniques
Applying Flow Process Analysis
Carrying out potential Failure Modes and Effects Analysis
Carrying out Mistake/Error Proofing
Funding may be available for selected delegates
If you would like to know more email Paula or call her on 07899 66187.
Continuous Improvement Programme
The Ceramic Industry Forum ran its regular Continuous Improvement Programme on 27th, 28th February and 1st March 2007. The programme is particularly useful for anyone involved in driving or sustaining Continuous Improvement in their company, from Managers to shop floor staff.
The 3-day programme includes training and facilitation in leadership, communication and motivation, and each delegate gets the chance to learn a little more about their “personal style” of working, by completing and receiving feedback on a LIFO (Life Orientations) study. The programme then focuses on the “Lean Tools” such as workplace organisation, visual management and waste elimination. The teaching is practically reinforced by a “Lean Simulation” activity where the delegates get a chance to put the teaching into practice by running their own factory!
The final day includes a factory tour. This time Mark Andrews at Wedgwood in Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, hosted this visit. Mark talked about Wedgwood’s application of Continuous Improvement and the delegates got a chance to discuss their own experiences with him and the other members on the course.
This course is normally run twice a year in this format. However the Ceramic Industry Forum can run tailor-made learning programmes for individual companies to their exact requirements. These programmes can be designed purely for learning to fulfil training requirements, or can be tailored to focus on, and address, specific company issues.
For further details please email David Richens or call him on 07795 240260.
Marketing Network
Less than a year ago, prompted by the industry’s appetite for marketing support, the Ceramic Industry Forum launched a programme called the Marketing Network.
It is a unique programme available to companies in the High Value Added Cluster, sponsored by the AWM NetInfinity project and supported by Business Link.
So far, almost 30 small companies have signed up to the programme. Here are some of their comments:
Bairstow Manor – Roger Bairstow:
‘The professional one-to-one advice we received from the Marketing Network focussed our efforts and has already resulted in increased orders’.
DCS Ltd – David Ashton:
‘There can be little doubt that without the resource and insight into our needs provided by the Marketing Network, we would not have seen such very tangible benefits. I do hope you will remain a partner for us as we continue to grow our business’.
Pollyanna Ltd – Peter Walpole:
‘The Marketing Network has put the spotlight on a very important segment of the selling process, that in many small companies is overlooked. We have been shown "how to" influence our customers in a subtle way both for their benefit and ours’.
The Marketing Network is led by the CIF and delivered by seasoned marketing practitioners who have worked with large corporate companies and with small businesses and who understand the marketing, branding and selling processes relevant to all businesses.
It operates on very simple lines, starting with an event designed to raise awareness of the benefits of adopting a marketing strategy backed up by market intelligence.
Once registered on the programme, companies are first treated to some enjoyable and interesting training in the basics of marketing. Each company is then allocated a marketing expert to analyse their current position and potential in the form of a marketing audit, followed by some relevant market research.
Many participants in the programme have found that this analysis helped unlock ideas and enthusiasm, which had been masked by the day to day running of their business.
The analysis stage reveals true business goals and leads to the formation of a marketing plan or strategy, which identifies marketing related opportunities for improvement and can be put into effect at an agreed pace to suit the business.
The Marketing Network provides all of this at no charge – with just an agreed time commitment from each company in return.
In addition, the CIF may be able to offer some funding support to carry out resulting activities such as web-site development.
Throughout the progress of the Marketing Network, the companies involved are encouraged to share and learn from each other’s experiences, giving them the confidence to put their plans into action.
If you would like to know more about the Marketing Network or take part in future events, please email Ken Barnes at the Ceramic Industry Forum or call him on 01782 505523.
The Final Showcase?
Spring Fair 2007, running from 4th to 8th February at the NEC, Birmingham, saw the last of the Showcase events funded by the North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone.
During the eleven years that Showcase has been held, almost 200 different companies have participated and more than £10 million worth of business has been written. Showcase has helped to establish brand names such as Lorna Bailey Artwares and it has been a stepping-stone for others such as Moorland Pottery and Dreamair who now participate in their own right at the Spring Fair.
Most importantly, Showcase has helped safeguard and in some cases increase jobs during those 11 years, which is something that everyone involved in the events can be proud of. It has continued to promote the image of small manufacturers and the industry for which The Potteries is famous worldwide.
Despite severe weather at the end of the week reducing the overall attendance at the Spring Fair, the companies exhibiting under the Showcase 2007 banner enjoyed continued success with orders placed equivalent to the previous year and a wealth of lucrative enquiries to follow up. Thus proving the pulling power of the Showcase brand.
As the ceramic industry in Stoke-on-Trent continues to re-invent itself, the way forward if such a concept as Showcase is to continue, is to create funding for a Midlands Showcase to include other high added value products such as jewellery and crystal. Alternatively if the focus remains on ceramics and glass the aim would be to cover all ceramic and glass manufacturers in the UK.
For further information on the future of Showcase, please email Ken Barnes or call him on 01782 505523.
Design Immersion Programme - Close Out Event
Ceramic companies from across the industry met at the Design Museum in London to celebrate the closing of the Design Immersion Programme.
The Design Immersion Programme, which started in April 2005, stressed the relevance and importance of design in what is already a highly innovative industry.
The programme proved to be a real catalyst for change with major inward investment and brand benefits resulting for the companies. The results are impressive. Naylor Industries established the ‘Yorkshire Flowerpots’ brand to compound their diversification into other markets and appointed a marketing director. Whereas H&R Johnson moved the entire design team to be closer to the core business and developed the Material Lab in London. Essentially the programme has made companies think of design in the broadest sense from packaging, brand, web and point of sale.
Sue Evans, Chief Executive of the Ceramic Industry Forum comments: “The Design Immersion Programme started out as a design led initiative but it soon became clear that there would be many strategic impacts for each company, be that moving the design team to appointing new directors or outside agencies.
“However, the programme created an opportunity for new beginnings and had a huge impact on design. It required resources, time and a real sense of focus from each company and without their willingness to be design led plus the commitment from the mentors and designers this would not have been possible."
Whilst the initial programme is now over, each company is continuing to review their design functions and are keen to keep up the work they have started and engender more change within their companies.